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J. S. vDUNCAN. PRINTING :DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED DEC-31,1915.

1,37,1 1. Patented June 17, 1919,.

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JOSEPH S. DUNCAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ADDRESSOGRAPH COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PRINTING- nnvicn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 31, 1915. Serial No. 69,570.

1914, the devices being adapted to be'run through printing machines for printing addresses and other deslred information on envelops and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide the printing devices with means of simple but strong and substantial construction for engaging the sides of the tray or drawer in which the devices are stored to maintain the devices always in upright position whether or not a follower is employed in the tray.

And a further object of the invention is to improve the device shown in my Patent No. 1,084,696 by constructing the marginal portions which space the devices apart, when they are nested or stacked, to protect the printing faces ofthe type characters, so as to provide a substantially 'flat back to the device which facilitates handling and the passage of the device through the machine, and also enables a greater number of devices to be stored in a given space.

' In the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a. number of devices in an ordinary tray or drawer;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the tray showing one of the printing devices in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device showing the front side thereof;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the printing device.

The printing device is preferably formed of a single strip of metal having a central printing portion 5 provided with printing characters 6 struck up therefrom, marginal spacing portions 7 and lateral extensions 8 at the upper corner of each end. These extensions project sufficiently to engage the upper edges of the sides 9 of the tray or drawer 10 in which the devices are stored, and they are also located in such relation to the lower edge of the device that when such extensions are engaged with the tray or drawer the lower edge of the device will be located above the bottom of the tray or clrawerso that the device will be sustained in upright position in the tray or drawer by engagement of the extensions with the sides thereof. I prefer that the edges 8 of the extensions be made parallel with the top and bottom edges of the device, forming right angle shoulders so that when engage d with the sides of the tray or drawer the device will be suspended evenly and freely within the tray or drawer, thus enabling it to be readily moved along the tray or inserted or removed as occasion may re quire.

The marginal spacing portion at each edge of the device is formed by bending the metal adjacent the printing portion first to form the shoulder 11 and then outwardly at 12 and back upon itself at 13, as shown. in Fig. 4. The face of the part 12 is fiat and lies in substantially the plane with the printing faces of the characters 6. The part 13 is pressed snugly against the part 12 and its outer face lies substantially in the plane with the back of the printing portion 5. Thus the back of the printing device is fiat and smooth since the free edges of the parts 13 lie snugly against the shoulders 11, and the face of the printing device is also substantially smooth since the, marginal spacing portions protect the printing characters thereon.

This construction provides marginal spacing portions which are suificient to protect the printing characters but do not take up unnecessary space and which, at the same time, are compactly arranged and disposed so that they will not interlock with adjacent devices. The flat smooth back of the device greatly facilitates handling the device in the addressing or printing machine and at other times.

The spacing portion at the upper edge of the printing device extends throughout the extensions 8 and reinforces and strengthens them so that they will not be readily bent or broken. These extensions terminate with in the planes of the outer faces of the side walls of the tray or drawer so as not to interfere with the operation of the tray or Patented June 17, 1919.

drawer. For the same reasons the outer edges of these extensions are made at right angles to the top andbottom edgesof the device.

I do not limit myself to the specific proportion and arrangement of parts illustrated in the drawings since this is simply one preferred embodiment of the invention and may be more or less changed in detailsof construction Within the scope of the accompanying claims Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A printing device having printing characters stampedup thereon, a marginal spacing portion at its upper edge, and a flat integ-ral lateral extension at the upper corner of each end ofsaid device projecting beyond that portion of the end below saidextQDSlOIlySiLlCl extensions including the niarmetal upwardly to produce a shoulder and then outwardly and back snugly upon itself with the free edge abutting against said shoulder, the face of said marginal spacing portionslying in approximately the plane With the face of the type-and the back of said printing a device being substantially fiat and smooth and'lying in a single plane.

JOSEPH s. DUNCAN.

-Witnesses WM. 0. BELT, W. T. WEs'rERBE'Re.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for-'five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

